I’m no stranger to electrotherapy. As a young, stubborn badminton player, who just wanted to start playing without the benefit of a warm-up, I got myself injured quite a bit. My dad first brought me to a sports doctor, due to an injured shoulder. I could hardly lift my arm, and I apparently had tendonitis. The sports doctor practiced acupuncture. So he stuck some needles into my shoulder and elbow then connected a TENS machine to it. At first, a weak current ran through the needles onto my arm. Then the doctor would increase the amount of electricity running through, and soon my arm was involuntarily flailing! Sounds scary, but it felt really good! It was like getting a massage from the inside and the current was massaging parts of my arm that no massage therapist could reach! What first sounded like a cruel experiment was actually a very soothing experience!
Fast forward to pushing-40, stubborn me, who lives a rather sedentary life, trying to keep up with a toddler, now with injuries from my athlete past, haunting me today. So I was really interested when I heard about Takshing Electrotherapy Massage! I could already imagine the soothing electric currents running through my entire body! That day in particular, my right wrist and the rest of my arm was sore (the same arm I hurt again and again), this time, from my 2-year old, 12+kg boy, who has claimed my arm as his pillow every night and who still likes to get carried every so often. So I was so ready for a massage!
The day was off to a good start, since I was able to take the one parking slot in the building, available to Takshing clients! So in case you plan to go, take a cab or have someone drop you off, because parking ain’t pretty in Annapolis Street. As you enter the building, just follow the helpful directional signs that will point you to their main entrance.
I came at a quiet, non-peak hour (3pm), so it was nice and quiet, with just an elderly Chinese couple who were settling their bill. I thought to myself: “Oooh. Chinese folk. These people know about good massages…” I got even more psyched for my session! I lay on the bed in the shorts and top they provided (buti na lang, garter yung shorts, kumasya! Haha!) and waited for the therapist. She then proceeded to put an ankle brace on one foot, where she inserted an electrical node (see blurry photo on the right).
While I’m completely comfortable with the thought of having electricity running through my body, the thought of it running through a conduit (the masseuse) then going through her fingers to me, made me feel a bit weird. I had a picture in my head of either Electra Woman or Magneto giving me a massage! Long story short, it indeed felt like getting a massage from someone with super kuryente powers! She started out with light strokes on my legs, which felt nice and tingly. As you get used to it, she would press harder. She would politely ask first, if you were ok, before proceeding to increase the pressure of each stroke. The harder she pressed, the stronger the electric current I felt. My fingers would also move involuntarily, as she stroked my arm. She started working on my shoulders, which I asked for, because they were sore as well. It felt sooo gooooood…then she touched the back of my head, which was kind of a shock (literally), but after a few seconds, it felt sooooo gooooood. Imagine those head tingler thingies…ganun. At the end of the hour-long session, I felt really relaxed, but more notably, invigorated! My sore arm did not magically heal, but it did feel a whole lot better. And best of all, I slept so soundly that night. Like I was run over by a bus. And that’s a good thing.
Takshing Healthcare and Beauty Center is at Unit 103 Richbelt Terraces Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan City. To find out why Takshing Electrotherapy Massage is good for you, check out their website.
The No-Frills Mama 